Since a Reed Relay, such as available commercially from the COTO Corporation of Providence, R.I., forms the first stage of data acquisition within a "Ramp Scanner" model 128RR mainframe system, manufactured by Kay Instruments, Inc. and since this data acquisition system provides data upon which significant decisions must be made, sometimes quickly, the importance of such a Reed Relay PCB operating correctly cannot be overemphasized. In nuclear critical situations, these Reed Relay PCBs are subjected to periodic functional inspections, and if necessary, they are re-calibrated and/or re-certified.
It can be a chilling thought to realize that even though the mainframe section of a "Ramp Scanner" or similar data acquisition system can remain within calibration indefinitely, the data presented to a "Ramp Scanner" or similar mainframe system can be altered by a malfunctioning Reed Relay PCB. The danger this creates is multiplied when such malfunctioning is intermittent and, as it can be so easily, undetectable by present-day tests.